Methods relating to configuration of software

• US 7,624,377 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Primary Examiner(s): Yigdall; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/028,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method relating to configuration of software includes receiving a request sent from a sender computer system to a recipient computer system. The sender computer system including software that has an unsuccessful configuration. The sender computer system is requesting the recipient computer system to provide a new configuration for the software. In the recipient computer system and upon receiving the request, there is identified a previously recorded unsuccessful configuration that was successfully replaced by a successful configuration. The previously recorded unsuccessful configuration is identified using the unsuccessful configuration. The successful configuration is provided from the recipient computer system to the sender computer system. Another method includes receiving several configurations from several sender computer systems. The configurations are stored in the recipient computer system. The stored configurations may be used as a configuration case base for making recommendations.

Claims

1. A method relating to configuration of software, the method comprising:

receiving a current software configuration comprising current parameter values from one of a plurality of sender computer systems at a recipient computer system, the recipient computer system comprising a first software configuration that has been previously applied unsuccessfully within the plurality of sender computer systems and a second software configuration that has been previously applied successfully with the plurality of sender computer systems, the first and second software configurations each comprising a plurality of parameters as well as respective first and second values for a subset of the plurality of parameters characterizing the respective first and second software configurations, the sender computer system having sent the current software configuration upon determining that the current software configuration is unsuccessful on the sender computer system;

comparing, by the recipient computer system, the current parameter values with the first software configuration to identify commonality of the first software configuration with the current software configuration;

identifying the second software configuration as having been previously applied successfully to replace the first software configuration;

providing a new software configuration from the recipient computer system to the sender computer system, the new software configuration comprising the second values of the parameters for the second software configuration; and

receiving confirmation from the sender computer system if the new software configuration is successfully applied on the sender computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the recipient computer system receiving the second software configuration from any of the plurality of sender computer systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient computer system receives a request for a new configuration after receiving the current configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the new configuration comprises identifying, to the sender computer system, at least one change to be made in the current configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the recipient computer system to each of the plurality of sender computer systems, one or more validation rules to be applied by the sender computer system to determine if the current software configuration is unsuccessful.

6. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a current software configuration comprising current parameter values from one of a plurality of sender computer systems at a recipient computer system, the recipient computer system comprising a first software configuration that has been previously applied unsuccessfully within the plurality of sender computer systems and a second software configuration that has been previously applied successfully with the plurality of sender computer systems, the first and second software configurations each comprising a plurality of parameters as well as respective first and second values for a subset of the plurality of parameters characterizing the respective first and second software configurations, the sender computer system having sent the current software configuration upon determining that the current software configuration is unsuccessful on the sender computer system;

comparing, by the recipient computer system, the current parameter values with the first software configuration to identify commonality of the first software configuration with the current software configuration;

identifying the second software configuration as having been previously applied successfully to replace the first software configuration;

providing a new software configuration from the recipient computer system to the sender computer system, the new software configuration comprising the second values of the parameters for the second software configuration; and

receiving confirmation from the sender computer system if the new software configuration is successfully applied on the sender computer system.

7. A method relating to configuration of software, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of software configurations, each of the plurality of software configurations being sent from one of several sender computer systems to a recipient computer system upon each of the software configurations being applied in the respective sender computer system, the plurality of current software configurations comprising a first software configuration that was unsuccessful and a second software configuration that was successful, the first and second software configurations each comprising a plurality of parameters as well as respective values for a subset of the plurality of parameters that specify characteristics of the respective first and second software configuration;

storing the plurality of software configurations in the recipient computer system; and

providing a recommendation to one of the sender computer systems from which a current unsuccessful software configuration is received, the recommendation comprising at least a subset of the parameter values of the second software configuration if the second configuration was found to have successfully replaced the first configuration on another of the several sender computer systems; and

receiving confirmation from the sender computer system if the recommendation results in a successful software configuration on the sender computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of software configurations are stored in the recipient computer system for comparison between the unsuccessful current software configuration and the plurality of software configurations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the newly received unsuccessful current software configuration comprises current parameters for configuring the software, and wherein at least some of the current parameters are provided with current values in the newly received unsuccessful current software configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparison involves determining a similarity in the current values of the newly received unsuccessful configuration with the stored values of the stored first software configurations.

11. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of software configurations, each of the plurality of software configurations being sent from one of several sender computer systems to a recipient computer system upon each of the software configurations being applied in the respective sender computer system, the plurality of current software configurations comprising a first software configuration that was unsuccessful and a second software configuration that was successful, the first and second software configurations each comprising a plurality of parameters as well as respective values for a subset of the plurality of parameters that specify characteristics of the respective first and second software configuration;

storing the plurality of software configurations in the recipient computer system; and

providing a recommendation to one of the sender computer systems from which a current unsuccessful software configuration is received, the recommendation comprising at least a subset of the parameter values of the second software configuration if the second configuration was found to have successfully replaced the first configuration on another of the several sender computer systems; and

receiving confirmation from the sender computer system if the recommendation results in a successful software configuration on the sender computer system.